F 



STATE OF VERMONT 



Department of Agriculture. 



REPORT ON 



Summer Travel for 1 894. 



MONTPELXER : 

I'KKsis oi THE Watchman Puiti 
1894. 




Class. 
Book 






STATE OF VERMONT. 



Department of Agriculture. 



REPORT ON 



Summer Travel for 1894. 



MONTPELIER: 

Press of the Watchman Publishing Co. 

1894. 



JAN 19 1905 
D.ofO, 



REPORT. 



To the Chairhtaji and Members of the Board of Agriculture : — 

Agreeable to instructions from 3^011, I have made inves- 
tigations as to the extent of Summer travel in Vermont for 
the present year, and as to the revenue received by the 
State from this source. In making this investigation I 
have attempted to get full reports from all persons who 
have opened their houses to this travel, and have delayed 
this report several days in order to get the last report pos- 
sible, as I have greatly preferred actual reports to estimates. 

As showing how extended I have attempted to make this 
investigation, I will say that during the last days of Aug- 
ust inquires were addressed to the postmasters in each 
town in the State, asking them to send to me the names 
and P. O. address of each person in their respective towns 
who have entertained Summer tourists this season. Re- 
ports were sent from nearly every town in the State, and the 
list so supplied contained over four hundred names. A 
circular letter was sent to each person on this list, asking 
them to fill out and return to me the answers to the follow- 
ing questions: 



. — Name of House? 

. — Name and P. O. address of Proprietor? 

. — Number of different guests for the season 1894? 

. — Total amount received for board and rooms ? 

. — Estimate of total amount paid by your guests for liv- 
ery, whether paid to you or others ? 

6. — How has this travel compared this season with pre- 
vious seasons ? 

7. — Do you expect to entertain summer travel next sea- 
sou ? 



8. — How many do you expect to be able to accommo- 
date? 

g, — What price for room and board shall you charge ? 

In the letter accompanying this blank it was requested 
that nothing should be included in the replies that come 
from ordinary travel, but only the income from tourists 
and boarders for the summer. The assurance was also 
given that the replies received would be treated confiden- 
tially and used only in getting a summary of results. 

Three hundred replies have been received, and two hun- 
dred and twenty-seven report some business this season. 
The balance of those reporting, for one reason and another, 
have had no custom that has given a revenue. A large 
proportion of this latter class have had summer visitors, 
but they w^ere relatives or friends who had come by invita- 
tion. From the 227 persons reporting more or less busi- 
ness in this direction we find that there has been paid for 

Board and rooms - - - - $ 354,666 
For lyivery - - - - - 39.239 

$ 393,905 
Number of different guest - - 54.236. 

Average amount paid by each guest - $7.18. 

As about one-fourth of the names on our list have not 
yet reported, and believing that those not reported are just 
about an average with those from whom reports have been 
received, and estimating on this basis, it would give a little 
over $500,000 as the total revenue to the State for the three 
items of board, rooms and livery. I have undertaken to 
obtain statements from the Railroads as to their receipts 
from this source, but they have not yet got their returns in 
shape to give it. It would hardly seem possible, when we 
consider the large number of persons registered this .season, 
that the Railroad receipts could fall much below the item 
of board, and the necessary supplies which are always pur- 
chased by travelers would be sufficient to have given to the 



State in these various ways nearl}' or quite a million dol- 
lars. It is quite likely that the number of persons returned 
are somewhat in excess of the actual number of visitors to 
the State, as many who come here go from place to place, 
stopping onl}' for a day or a single meal at each, and might 
therefore be registered several times. 

It appears from the returns that twenty-six persons have 
opened their houses to this travel for the first time this sea- 
son. Ninety-four report the business as better than in 
previous years; fifty-four that it has been an average 
season, and thirty-eight that this travel has been less with 
them than heretofore. Several did not answer this inquiry. 
Quite a number report that they could not accommodate 
nearly all that applied, and some of the houses report that 
all of their rooms are now engaged for next season. On 
the whole, the evidence seems quite strong that this busi- 
ness is increasing in the State, and it is gratifying to find 
that nearly all engaged in it report that they intend to con- 
tinue in the business, as they are well satisfied with the re- 
sults. It is also encouraging to know that guests who 
come to our State once usually become permanent custom- 
ers. Our beautiful scenery, healthful climate, pure air and 
water, our pleasant drives and fine roads, our hunting and 
fishing, exercise their charm, which, when combined with 
the skill of our people in catering to the physical comforts 
of their guests, seem to have succeeded in a remarkable 
degree in affording satisfaction. 

This business extends to nearly every portion of our 
State, and about one-half of the towns have a portion of this 
custom. 

The amount of business done by different persons varies, 
from the farmers' home in which one or two persons have 
found accommodations and have paid $25 or $50, to our 
large and finely equipped summer hotels that have afford- 
ed accommodation to several thousand guests and received 
in the vicinity of fifty thousand dollars during the season. 



Also there is a wide difference in the amount of money 
received for each guest. Some of the hotels have been 
mainly for excursionists, and each guest only remained for 
a meal or a day, while others have provided homes for the 
season. For this reason there is a wide range in the re- 
ceipts per guest, varying from about one dollar to fifty 
dollars each. The difference in rates charged at different 
places also varies from $3.50 to $28 per week. So it can 
be seen that the State is providing for all classes of this 
travel, and the person of limited means or the person of 
wealth can find here accommodations and prices to suit 
their condition. For the purpose of showing to some ex- 
tent how generally this business is distributed over the 
State, I have arranged it by counties and find as follows : 

rec'd. for board 



COUNTIES. 


AND LIVERY. 


NO. OF GUE 


Addison 


$17,745 


828 


Bennington 


- 96,360 


3,110 


Caledonia 


26,207 


6,474 


Chittenden 


- 19,293 


8,273 


Essex - 


750 


41 


Franklin - 


- 17,050 


1.297 


Grand Isle - 


9,495 


p 681 


Lamoille - 


5,954 


i!'967 


Orange, 


13,245 


1,246 


Orleans 


- 28,862 


7,335 


Rutland 


26,014 


2,554 


Washington 


4,335 


^[647 


Windham 


48,539 


10,113 


Windsor - 


80,063 


8,388 



The advantages to a State from summer travel are so 
well stated in a letter from Hon. Joseph Battell, of the 
Bread Loaf Inn, who has had a long experience in the 
business, that I take the liberty of quoting from his letter. 
He says : 

' ' I would like to suggest a variety of reasons why this 
sunnner travel is of especial advantage to a State or com- 
munity. 



"About three-fourths that hotel proprietors receive is dis- 
tributed at once for supplies, help and the ordinary repairs 
of buildings and furnishment. Probably in no business is 
the same proportion of money so widely receiv^ed and dis- 
tributed, and much of it for help and perishable articles 
that is all clear gain. That is, I hire women who live in 
the neighborhood to help cook, wait on tables, do chamber 
work, and employ them several months, paying good 
wages, many of whom would not work at all for pay except 
for such a chance as the summer hotel offers. Young 
ladies from the seminaries and young gentlemen from the 
colleges, as well as farmer's sons and daughters, take ad- 
vantage of such a chance. ' ' 

"Besides this, boarders at summer hotels leave quite an 
amount of money in the neighborhood. They purchase 
quite an amount of goods at the stores. They occasion- 
ally buy a horse, or a number of them ; a cow, or a num- 
ber of them. They buy maple sugar and syrup, butter and 
potatoes, and other articles of the farmer, often arranging 
their winter's supplies of such articles. Quite often one of 
them buys a farm or builds a house or hotel. Em- 
ploynient is given our mechanics, masons, painters and 
laboring men, and materials are bought of our mill owners, 
brick- workers, quarr^anen, etc. I think everyone that 
considers will see that this is not a small matter, but a very 
great one, and one that the State can well afford to use 
active efforts to encourage."- 

It needs no argument to prove the importance of this in- 
dustry to the State. It is doubtful if any agricultural pro- 
duct, except the dairy product, is bringing as much money 
to the State at the present time as are our summer visitors, 
and even our dairy product would find here a close rival 
in point of profit. With no industry in the State is it so 
easily possible to double and treble the amount received as 
is this. The favorable location of the State, so near the 
large cities of the East, and its easy means of transporta- 
tion, are all favorable to a large increase in the business in 
the near future. 

A favorite means of travel at the present time is by 
coaching parties, and good roads to travel over is the main 
inducement necessary to bring them to our State. It may 



be advisable to place before the people of the cities more 
complete information than they now possess in regard to 
the inducements there are to get acquainted with Vermont. 
It certainly is advisable for every community to look alter 
their interests in this matter and see if it is not entitled to 
a larger share then it now receives. 

It is advisable to preserve our natural scenery and to 
add to its attractiveness in every way that we can. It is 
advisable to extend our accommodations for this travel, 
that all who wish to come may find accommodations. It 
is advisable to get the best roads that we can, to protect 
and propagate our fish and game supply, that sportsmen 
who come here may fiiid the attraction they seek. 

In all legitimate ways I believe it for the interest of the 
whole State to encourage the coming of our summer guests. 

I wish to acknowledge the kindness and courtesey of the 
postmasters in the State, and proprietors of hotels and 
homes, for having supplied so full answers to my inquires 
of them. 

Respectfully submitted, 

VICTOR I. SPEAR, 

Statistical Secretary. 



